Cruz Foam

Cruz Foam CMO Leslie Nakajima joined University of California, Santa Cruz Women in Climate Tech panel last week, hosted by the Innovation & Business Engagement Hub, the Genomics Institute, QB3, and Baskin Engineering at UCSC! The event brought together trailblazing women in climate tech to share career insights, break down barriers in a male-dominated industry, and discuss the power of STEM and research. It was a night of wisdom, laughter, and inspiration. Huge thanks to UCSC, Martina Doleshal, Kim K., Ying Sun (孙莹) and Hélène Thibieroz for the incredible discussion! #WomenInClimateTech #STEMLeadership

Meet local Santa Cruz artist Amadeo Bachar, best known for his stunning marine illustrations featured on Salty Crew apparel, as well as his features from National Geographic and the United Nations. As a Central Coast native, Amadeo combines his lifelong passion for fishing and the ocean with his artistic talent, capturing the beauty and intricacy of marine life in remarkable detail. From his Westside Santa Cruz studio, Amadeo brings his fish paintings to life, selling them through his business, Studio Abachar and also selling his artwork on merchandise through the clothing brand Salty Crew. As a fisherman, angler, and ocean advocate, Amadeo deeply values and understands the importance of sustainability—not just in fishing but in his daily life and the shipping of his artwork. Witnessing firsthand the damage caused by unsustainable practices on the water, he has made sustainability a cornerstone of his work, from creation to delivery. To honor his commitment to staying plastic-free in shipping his work, Amadeo partnered with Cruz Foam to ship his art responsibly. Made from upcycled food waste, Cruz Foam offers cushioning that protects his artwork during shipping and then decomposes in months when thrown into a backyard compost after delivery. Thanks to this partnership, Amadeo’s work can now be enjoyed across the world while remaining sustainable throughout its journey to get there.🎣🌊🎨 Interested in using Cruz Foam for your brands packaging? Fill out the form at www.cruzfoam.com/contact #cruzfoam #follownature

While surfing the beaches around Santa Barbara as a student at UCSB, John Felts' feet were...dirty: 👣 “All of the oil rigs in the area were contributing to huge amounts of tar on the beach that would end up stuck all along the bottoms of our feet. The only way to remove it was to scrape it off with a knife which is a pretty gnarly thing to have to deal with every time you go to the beach.” 🏖️ That was the beginning of his realization of how dirty the oceans 🌊 were becoming – and the stirrings of an idea of how to clean them up. Not just as part of a beach cleanup, but long-term, by preventing plastic material from entering them in the first place. Read the story of Cruz Foam in the latest edition of Surfer Magazine. 🏄🏽♂️ https://lnkd.in/ggMCX76k

'It’s the year 2025 and, by now, it is abundantly clear that we have a major plastic problem–garbage patches in the ocean, trash mountains in developing nations, microplastics in organs, sperm, and embryos, and plastic pollution all along our shorelines. While the awareness has led to many important environmental regulations and a shift in consumer behavior, the reality is that government bans will never fully address the issue–the best chance for success comes from innovation within the business sector. Hence the story of Cruz Foam, a sustainable foam packaging company that was founded by two surfers, John Felts and Marco Rolandi, that started with the vision of making eco-friendly surfboard blanks and then pivoted to address the packaging problem as a whole by developing a compostable alternative to plastic foams...' Check out the full article from Surfer Magazine here: https://lnkd.in/ggMCX76k

Did you know that your tax dollars are funding plastic pollution? How is this possible? Well, BILLIONS of dollars of public money are paid to fossil fuel companies in the U.S. each year, and 99% of plastic is made from oil and gas. Massive subsidies are also given to plastic producers themselves. ⁠ ⁠ 📢 These multinational companies use public money to generate massive profits and elect politicians to keep these subsidies in place. This cycle keeps plastic “cheap” and allows the oil and gas industry to stay in power—polluting ecosystems, harming human health, and impacting vulnerable communities.⁠ ⁠ ⏰ It's time to rethink these hidden costs and shift towards cleaner, sustainable solutions that protect our environment and future. 🌎🌱🌊⁠ ⁠ 🔗 Read more about how subsidies bolster plastic production and what we can do to change it in our latest blog with Plastic Pollution Coalition here: https://lnkd.in/gTCvT7vP ⁠ #PlasticPollutes #BreakFreeFromPlastic #PlasticPollution #PlasticSubsidies #CruzFoam #PPC #FollowNature #PlasticPollutionCoalition

Exciting news from the IPPE show! 🎉 Stop by our booth and scan your badge with one of our representatives for a chance to win a Wild Idea Buffalo Co. Starter Bundle. The bundle features A New Earth Project’s innovative Cruz Foam cooler—an industrially compostable solution designed to replace traditional EPS coolers. We’re proud to highlight innovative solutions that support a circular supply chain. Come visit us at our booth #C32179 and learn more about how we’re leading the way in packaging for the protein processing industry. #AtlanticPackaging #SustainableSolutions #IPPE2025 #Sustainability Bonni Gamble Mark Bullard Matt Teague Spencer Butler Carl Wallin Chase Charlton Lorie Carpenter Kourtney Miller

Plastic recycling is a broken system—only a small fraction of plastic waste is ever recycled, while the production of cheap virgin plastic continues to rise. Recycling struggles with overwhelming waste volumes, mixed materials, contamination, and high costs, making it an unsustainable solution for all of the waste we produce. The future lies in investing in biomaterials and compostable alternatives, alongside embracing refill and reuse systems like the ones used in the past. By shifting from single-use plastics to innovative, sustainable solutions, we can break free from the cycle of waste and build a cleaner, greener future.🫧🌱🌎 #follownature #cruzfoam

California recently implemented new laws SB54 and AB1201 but what do they mean? California’s recent SB 54 and AB 1201 laws are a big step toward addressing plastic pollution. SB 54 sets an ambitious goal: all packaging must be recyclable or compostable by 2032. AB 1201 adds another layer, requiring that all compostable materials be certified organic. For many biomaterials innovators, this poses a major challenge: certifications take years to obtain, creating barriers to progress. This highlights a critical issue—not all stakeholders were included in shaping these regulations. While these laws represent progress, they also highlight the need for greater collaboration between policymakers, biomaterials innovators, and all stakeholders. By bringing everyone to the table, we can ensure regulations support innovation and accelerate solutions to ending plastic pollution. The good news? This challenge opens the door for deeper conversations that will help innovators move forward—together. Collaboration + Innovation = Radical Change. 🌿🌊🫧 Thanks for the wonderful insight Renata Massion! Check out the full discussion from the Industry Dive webinar here: https://shorturl.at/js1Uy #cruzfoam #follownature

#InspirationalStories: John Felts John Felts, a passionate surfer and chemical engineer, turned his love for the ocean into action by co-founding Cruz Foam, a startup dedicated to reducing plastic pollution. Using 70% recycled food waste, Cruz Foam creates a sustainable alternative to polystyrene for packaging, combining innovation with environmental impact. Today, Cruz Foam collaborates with global giants like Amazon Robotics and LVMH and has gained support from investors like Leonardo DiCaprio and Ashton Kutcher, proving that passion and resilience can drive real change. Source & Credits: Cruz Foam - John Felts 💡We support the transition to a sustainable world, discovering and promoting innovation, startups and best practices. 📌 If You Know Innovative Ideas, Plant Your Seeds & Share Your Suggestions. • #SDGs #GlobalGoals #SaC25 #JohnFelts #CruzFoam #FoodWaste

Happy Holidays from the Foamers! 🫧🌊🌱 A heartfelt thank you to each and every one of you for joining us along this journey to create a world where your packaging protects not just what’s inside your packages—but our planet too. Here’s to a season filled with joy, gratitude, and the power to make a positive impact. See you in 2025! 🥂✨ #cruzfoam #follownature